South Asia Department

Opportunities and Challenges for Public-Private Partnerships in India's Urban Infrastructure Development [ PDF: 33kb | 4 pages ]
The Government of India has committed to raising investments in infrastructure and the emergence of PPPs therefore is seen as a sustainable financing and institutional mechanism with the potential of bridging the infrastructure gap. In support of the Government's ongoing efforts to mainstream PPP for accelerated infrastructure development in India, ADB is proposing a technical assistance to strengthen urban infrastructure PPPs in India.

Safe and Reliable Water Supply in Dhaka, Bangladesh: The Manikdi Experience [ PDF: 26kb | 2 pages ]
The Manikdi pilot project in Dhaka demonstrates how the good quality of water can be delivered by improving distribution networks, water pipe condition, water pressure, household connections, metering, meter reading, and billing as well as quality control at the source of water. It manages to solve problems like pilferage, illegal connections, inadequate operation and maintenance, and system improvement by adopting a zonal approach.

Municipal Accounting Reforms in Kerala [ PDF: 98kb | 6 pages ]
Seven Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Kerala have implemented municipal accounting reforms. Actions taken so far improved their accounting and budgeting systems, record keeping and maintenance as well as strengthened skills of personnel and effective April 2007, all seven pilot ULBs have shifted to accrual based double entry system of accounting. These pilot demonstration activities have well demonstrated that the proposed reforms enhanced governance of these ULBs and the State.

Prospects for Sub-sovereign Lending in India's Urban Infrastructure: A Study of 10 Cities in India [ PDF: 175kb | 25 pages ]
The US$11 billion reform-based, part-grant driven JNNURM program of the Government of India is providing sizable grant support—ranging from 35% to 90% of the project cost to 63 large cities of India, with remaining funds expected to be mobilized by State governments and the cities themselves through debt financing, a part of which is likely to be sub-sovereign. However, the Indian financial system lacks a player who is in a position to mobilize long-term funds and who is able to channel them towards long-tenure borrowers. Since the existing players are either unable to or discouraged from providing long-term loans to non-Government borrowers, there is a need and an opportunity to introduce a long-term sub-sovereign loan product.

ADB-PRC Partnership for Urban Development [ PDF: 31kb | 4 pages ]
Although South and East Asian countries may have diverse development experiences emanating from differences in their economic policies and systems as well as their social diversities, development challenges facing them are somehow similar. Thus, it is worth looking at how PRC's more active urban sector development and management may benefit South Asia DMCs towards successful conduct of sector work in the region.

Reducing Non-Revenue Water in Dhaka: A Tale of Spaghetti Lines and Flip-Flops (A Presentation on Manikdi Experience). 5 July 2007, Manila
Mr. Abul Bashar, lead trainer of the plumbers' training component in the Manikdi Pilot Project, shared and disseminated experiences and lessons learned from the Manikdi pilot zonal approach which has substantially assisted in reducing non-revenue water and illegal connections as well as in the increasing tariff collection efficiency.

Urban Water and Environmental Management Forum. 23-27 July 2007, Singapore
A group of 20 senior urban water policy makers from India are invited to this Forum to share information on best practices in private sector participation in urban infrastructure in South Asia. The venue is provided as part of the knowledge sharing program under an ongoing ADB technical assistance.

SASEC Tourism Development Project Inception Workshop. 26-27 July 2007, Bhutan
This inception workshop is expected to be attended by Secretaries and other officials from the respective Ministries of Tourism of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka as well as Country Advisors, development partners, ADB Staff, and resource consultants. This will serve as a venue to present the outline of the technical assistance implementation method and detailed work plan of consultants.